Apparatus for handling strands



May 26, 1936.`

Y.4A. BOUGET ET AL APPARATUS FOR HANDLING S'TRANDS -F'iled NOV. '10; 1934 INVENTORS K A. BOUGET 0. V. WATERS A TTOR/VEV Patented May 26, 19.36v

UNETED STATES PATENT oPPlcE APPARATUS Fon HANDLING s'mANDs Application November 10, 1934, Serial No. 752,428

7 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for handling strands and more particularly to an apparatus for combining electrically conductive strands into multiconductor cables.

In multiconductor cables for some types of use it is of importance that the spatial relationships to each other of a given pair of conductors and of this pair to a particular other pair be so far as possible unchanging within the cable along the conductors in question to` avoid any electrical capacitative unbalance among the four conductors of the two pair.

One object of the invention is to provide a method of twisting strands together and an apparatus for carrying on the method which will produce compound strands having a plurality of strands twisted together with or without a central core strand, in which the combined strands at any cross section of their length are symmetrically located about a common center, and are held in this relation by a binding strand.

One embodiment of the invention is in a ma# chine adapted to carry on the method of the invention in which a four or ve strand supply unit and a take-up unit are mounted to be rotatable in opposite directions to twist the strands together while one or more rotating or stationary dies are located between the two unitsv and a serving head is also located between the units so that a binding strand may be applied over the combined conductor strands either before the conductor strands are intertwisted, or after they are intertwisted, or after the intertwistingvhas been partially but no-t completely accomplished.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will more fully and clearly appear from the following detailed description of one embodiment thereof in a machine capable of carrying on the method of the invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which the same reference numerals are applied to identical parts in the several figures and in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic View in side elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section enlarged on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section enlarged on the line 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section enlarged on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section of a four conductor cored cable;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section of a compound cable, and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged section of a four conductor coreless cable.

In the embodiment of the invention herein disclosed there is an apparatus comprising ve cooperating units preferably arranged in coaxial 5 straight alignment. The numeral IU indicates generally a strand supply device having two supporting standards II and I2 in which is mounted a frame I3 rotatable about a horizontal axis. A core supply reel I4 and four conductor strand supply reels I5 are mounted in the frame and revolve therewith. The right hand side of the frame has a hollow shaft 2E) for supporting the frame in the standard I2 and for providing a central axial passageway I6 to the right for strands 15 drawn from the several reels. Means to guide the strands from the reels to the passageway and to impose tension on the strands individually may be provided within the frame but are not disclosed here as not pertinent to the present invention and in order not to complicate the drawing with irrelevant matter.

Gearing Il is provided whereby the frame may be driven in rotation from a power shaft I8 which in turn is driven by a motor I9. A die 2I is mounted in the outer extremity of the shaft 20 to rotate therewith and is provided with five bores 22 arranged in symmetrical quincunX order, of which the central bore is in the axis of the shaft and the other four preferably slant radially inwardly from left to right although in some instances they may be parallel to the central bore.

Numeral 30 indicates generally a first twist control device which comprises a standard 3| having a hollow shaft 32 rotatably mounted therein coaxial with shaft 2S. A sprocket chain 33 drives the Vshaft 32 from the shaft I8 by means of appropriate sprockets on the two shafts and a die 34 having a single axial bore is mounted in the shaft 32 to rotate therewith. In some instances as will hereinafter appear, it may be desirable to hold the shaft 32 and its die 34 stationary in which case the chain 33 may be removed and the shaft clamped by a set screw 35 or other means.

Means for serving the combined strands with a binder strand is indicated generally by the numeral 40. This comprises a standard 4I in which a hollow shaft 42 coaxial with the shafts 23 and 50 32 is rotatably mounted and driven from the shaft I8 by gearing 43. A serving head having a supply 44 and a guide 45 is mounted on the shaft 42. This head may be of any approved construction and so is not disclosed in detail, as 55 its particular mode of construction is not pertinent to the present invention.

A second twist control device is generally indicated at 5E), which is substantially a duplicate of the device at 35, except that the die 54 mounted in the hollow shaft 52 has a substantially square axial bore. The shaft 52 is driven by a chain 53 and a set screw 55 is provided to clamp the shaft against rotation if desired when the chain has been removed.

At 56 is generally indicated a. take-up device having a pair of standards 6I and 62 with a frame 53 mounted therein to rotate coaxially with the shafts 26, 32 and 52, the frame having at its left end a hollow shaft 64 aligned with those shafts, in which is mounted a die 65 like the die A take-up reel 66 is mounted in the frame 53 to rotate therein and revolve therewith being driven in rotation by gearing 6'I, 61. The frame is driven from the shaft I8 by gears 68, 6B, in a, direction opposite to the rotation of the frame I3.

In one mode of operation a corestrand Til, preferably of non-metallic material and four conductor` strands 86, preferably insulated by a cover of textile or molded insulating material, are drawn from the supply reels I4 and I5, I5, threaded through the dies 2|, 34 and 54 and secured to the take-up reel 65, and the motor I9 is started. The frame I3 rotates let us say counterclockwise as seen from the right, and the die ZI rotates with it at the same speed. The drive 33 of the shaft 32 is proportioned to drive the die 34 at the same speed and in the same direction ae the die .ZI. The five strands passing through these two dies are therefore arranged and compacted in parallel straight line relationship and in symmetrical quincunx order with the core I6 in the center and without any twist. The serving head 44 is driven preferably in the opposite direction to the dies EI and 34 at any desired speed to lay the binder strand 90 spirally about the nve other strands at any desired pitch. The die 54 is also driven at the same speed and in the saine direction as the dies 2| and 34 so that the ve strands emerge from the die 54 still in parallel straight line relation without twist and with the binder strand wrapped spirally about them and the whole compacted. The die 65 however is driven in the opposite direction from that of the preceding dies and in the same direction as the serving head 44. Hence the bound compound strand is twisted between the dies 54 and 65, the pitch of this twist depending on the relative rotary speeds of the dies 54 and 65 and the longitudinal speed of the compound strand due to the rotation of the take-up reel 66 on which the nished strand is wound.

In a second mode of operation the dies 34, 54 and G5 are all driven at the same speed as and in the. opposite direction to thedie 2I, while the serving head i4 may be driven in either direction according as it is desired to wrap the binder strand in the same sense as the twist of the compound strand or in the opposite sense. In this mode of operation all the twist is put in between the dies 2l and 34 and before the binder strand S3 is applied.

In a third and preferred mode of operation, the dies 2l and 65 rotate as before in opposite directions, and the dies 34 and 54 rotate in unison with each other but at a common speed which may be of any value and direction from a little less than synchronism with the die ,2Iv to Ya. little less than synchronism with the die 65. In this case, the ve strands 76 and 8G will be intertwisted partially between the dies 2l and 34, no twist will be imposed between the dies 34 and 54 while the binder strand is being served, and the twisting will be completed between the dies 54 and 65.

In some instances it may be desirable to do part or al1 of the twisting while the binder strand is being served. Hence in a fourth inode of operation the dies 34 and 54 will be driven in opposite directions. If they run in synchronism respectively with the dies 2I and 65, all the twist will be imposed between the dies 34 and 54. If they are driven at slower speeds than the dies 2I and 65 respectively, some twist will be imposed between the dies ZI and 34, some between the dies 34 and 54 while the binder is being served on, and the twisting will be completed between the dies 54 and 65.

Whenever twist is imposed between the head 44 and the die 54, or between the dies 54 and 65, i. e. after the binder has been served on, not only are the four conductor strands twisted spirally together about the core strand, but also the binderl strand is made either tighter or looser than it is served on, according as the twist is in the same sense as the spiral of the binder or in the opposite sense. Hence by adjusting the relative directions and speeds of rotation of the dies 2I and 34, the serving head 40, the dies 54 and 65, and the take-up reel 66, the optimum degrees of twist of the conductors 80 about the core 10, and the optimum lay and tension of the binder strand 90 may be accurately predeterminedand unvaryingly held during the combining of such strands which have any one combination of relative proportions and tensile strength. These conditions of twist, lay and tension` may be changed to provide for practically any desired combination of absolute or relative sizes of core and conductor strands and size and. tensile strength and tension of binder strands.

It will be noted that the rst and second modes of operation described above are limiting cases of the third mode. A fifth mode or operation will occur as a special case of the fourth mode, which is also a special case of the third mode and thus serves to link all the modes together into one series of possible modes. In this fifth mode, the drives 33and 53 are disconnected and the shafts 32 and 52 are held stationary by the set screws and 55 respectively thus holding the dies 34 and 54 stationary. Twist will then be imposed between the dies 2I and 34, not imposed between the dies 34 and 54 while the binder strand is being served on, and more twist imposed between the dies 54 and 65.

Other special cases include those where either the die 3.4v or the die 54 is held stationary while the die 54 or the die 34 is driven in the same direction as the die 65 or the die 2 I, respectively.

It will be evident that the drives 33, 43 and 53 as disclosed are by no means complete but in practice will include means to modify and alter both the speed and direction of rotation of the shafts 32, 42 and 52 respectively and independently of each other. Means to accomplish this such as speed change and reverse mechanisms in power transmission devices are well known, as well as irrelevant in their nature to the present invention, and hence are not disclosed! here. However, this can be accomplished in the present disclosure by making the sprockets on the shafts 32 and 52 exchangeable for others of appropriate clamps by means of their flanged bases.

dimensions to change the drive speed and by running the chains either straight or crossed to control the rotary directions `of the shafts. So also the gears 43 may be made interchangeable to Vary speed of drive and topermit of adding or dropping one gear to or from the train to change the direction of drive.

The five principal strands, drawn from the supply reels I4 and I5 guided and held in accurately predetermined relative position by the guiding die 2| and then held under strict control by the compacting twisting and polishing dies 34, 54V and 65 while the twisting and serving are being done, are laid up in a compound strand as shown in Fig. 5, in symmetrical quincunx order which is unvarying along the strand in nature and symmetry, thus rendering these compound strands peculiarly satisfactory for use either alone or combined with others in a cable as shown in Fig. 6, for communicationspurposes where it is highly desirable that the four conductor strands have as nearly perfect electrostatic and inductive balance as possible.

By omitting the core strand 10, which is desirable in some cases, a compound four conductor strand such as shown in Fig. '7 may be produced, in which no one strand tends to slip toward the center and so destroy the electrostatic or capacitative balance.

By self evident modifications, the method and apparatus may also be applied to produce accurately symmetrical compound strands having three, ve, six or more conductor strands.

It is to be noted that the die 34 `is not necessarily of the form shown in Fig. 3 but is preferably like that shown in Fig. 4 in some modes of operation to keep the relative positions of the strands under rigid control, or may even when itmoves in unison with the die 2|, be nke Fig. 2 with the four outer bores nearer the axis. So also dies 54 and/or 65 may in some instances be such as shown in either Fig. 3 or Fig. 4. Also the bore of the die shown in Fig. 4 may well be spiral and pitched to correspond to the pitch of the twisted compound strand as it passes through the die.

Furthermore, if it be desired to put more than one serving or wrapping on the compound strand, an additional unit like the unit may be interposed between units and 6|), to apply a second binder strand, or a tape covering of textile material, paper or the like, or a braider may be interposed to cover the compound strand with a braided textile sheath provided that all the twist desired is imposed ahead of the braider.

In the drawing a unitary support or track IIJIJ is disclosed on which the units 30, 40 and 5|] are mounted. These units may be so mounted on this track or base as to be adjustable along the same. Means for this adjustment are not shown as the character and mode of operation of such means are no part of the invention, and as such means are well known. For instance the' standards 3l, 4l and 5I may be slidable along the track and be clamped in place with ordinary C- The drivey sprockets and gears of the transmissions 33, 43 and 53 would then be correspondingly slidable along the shaft I8. This adjustability is particularly important in the case of the unit 30 to assist in controlling the angle of approach of the conductor strands 83 to the core strand 10 as the five strands enter the die 34.

The embodiment of the invention herein disclosed is illustrative merely and may be modified and departed from in many ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as pointed out in and limited only by the appended claims.

' What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for making a compound strand, a frame rotatable in one direction, a plurality of strand supplies mounted in the frame Y and revoluble therewith, means to guide and associate the strands from the supplies in accurately predetermined relative cross sectional position, a second frame rotatable inthe opposite direction, a take-up means to receive and propel strands from the Yplurality of supplies and rotatable with the second frame to twist the strands together, and means to restrict the twisting effect of the oppositely rotating frames to a predetermined portion of the interval between them and to maintain the relative cross sectional position of the associated strands unaltered while being twisted together. l

2. In an apparatus for making a compound strand, a frame rotatable in one direction, a plurality of strand supplies mounted in the frame and revoluble therewith, means to guide and associate the strands from the supplies in accurately predetermined relative cross sectional position, a second frame rotatable in the opposite direction, a take-up means to receive and propel strands from the plurality of supplies and rotatable with the second frame to twist the associated strands together, means to apply a cover strand to the associated strands, and means to restrict the twisting effect of the oppositely rotating frames to a predetermined portion of the interval between them and to maintain the relative cross sectional position of the associated strands unaltered while being twisted together.

3. In an apparatus for making a compound strand, a frame rotatable in one direction, a plurality of strand supplies mounted in the frame and revoluble therewith, means to guide and associate the strands from the supplies in accurately predetermined relative cross sectional position, a second frame rotatable in the opposite direction, a take-up means to receive and propel strands from the plurality of supplies and rotatable with the second frame to twist the associated strands together, means to restrict the twisting effect of the oppositely rotating frames to a predetermined portion of the interval between them and to maintain the relative cross sectional position of the associated strands unaltered While being twisted together, and means to apply'a cover strand to the twisted strands.

4. In an apparatus for making a compound strand, a frame rotatable in one direction, a plurality of strand supplies mounted in the frame and revoluble therewith, means to guide and associate the strands from the supplies in accurately predetermined relative cross sectional position, a rotatable die to compact the associated strands, a binder strand supply and serving head to apply a binder strand to the associated strands, a second rotatable die to compact the bound strands, a second frame rotatable in the opposite direction to the iirst named frame, and a takeup means mounted in the second frame and revoluble therewith.

5. In an apparatus for making a compound strand, a frame rotatable in one direction, a plurality of strand supplies mounted in the frame and revoluble therewith, means to guide and associate the strands from the supplies in accurately predetermined relative cross sectional position, a die rotatable in the opposite dir ection to twist and compact the associated strands, a binder strand supply and serving head to apply a binder strand to the associated strands, a second rotatable die to compact the bound strands, a second frame rotatable in the opposite direction to the first named frame, and a take-up means mounted in the second frame and revoluble therewith.

6,. In an apparatus for making a compound strand, a frame rotatable in one direction, a plurality of strand supplies mounted in the frame and revoluble therewith, means to guide and associate the strands from the supplies in accurately predetermined relative cross sectional position, a die rotatable in the same direction to compact the associated strands, a binder strand supply and serving head to apply a binder strand to the associated strands, a second die rotatable in the opposite direction to compact and twist the bound strands, a second frame rotatable in the same direction as, the second-de. and av take-up means mounted in the second frame and revoluble therewith.

7. InV an apparatus for making aA compound strand, a frame rotatable in one direction, a plurality of strand supplies mounted in the framel and revoluble therewith, means to guide and associate the strands from the supplies in accurately predetermined relative cross sectional posi,- tion, a die rotatable in the same direction to compact the associated strands, a binder strand supply and serving head to applya binderv strand to the associated strands, a second die rotatable in thel same direction to compact the bound strands, a second frame rotatable in the opposite direction, a third die mounted in the second frame and rotatable therewith to twist the boundl compacted strands, and a take-up means mounted in the second frame and revoluble therewith.

YVES A. BOUGET. DANIEL V. WATERS. 

